The document evaluates two digital libraries across five criteria:
1) The first criterion is the overall quality of organization. The University of Wyoming Digital Initiative lacks clear navigation between collections while the Arizona Memory Project clearly presents its content and resources.
2) The second criterion is design. The University site has an attractive main page but inconsistent interfaces between collections, while the Arizona site has a simple and effective consistent design.
3) The third criterion is usability. The University site requires learning its interface but allows customization, while the Arizona site is very simple and easy to use with stable navigation.
The Elements Of Rich Navigation by LuristicLuristic
Now that we have been exposed to many different devices with many different platforms, it is possible, if not necessary, to establish some best-practices regarding navigation, which is the single most important criteria for usability and Rich User Experience (RUE). The objective is to raise the bar from the low common denominator of a mundane to a rich navigation that offers engaging, immersive, interactive, collaborative, attractive, and even desirable experience that attracts intrigued visitors and convert them into excited users who become paying customers who finally morphed into loyal evangelists.
This document describes a prototype system that combines images located through textual metadata with a visual collaging technique to provide a leisurely browsing experience of a digital music collection. The system retrieves relevant images from the web based on metadata from MP3 files in the collection. These images are dynamically added and faded in a collage visualization. Users can click images to explore related web pages or play the associated songs. The system was implemented using the open source Greenstone digital library software.
NuSys is a proposed system to enhance how creative groups brainstorm and develop ideas using an electronic whiteboard. It would allow groups to easily share content from various sources onto the whiteboard workspace. NuSys would record discussions, annotations, and links between content to capture information networks. It would also support automatic generation of presentations from the whiteboard content, such as meeting summaries and slide shows. One use case described a study group using NuSys on a large display to organize and link course materials, images, and discussions to map relationships between concepts.
This document summarizes a paper about increasing data breaches and the need for legislation to address the problem. It notes that over 233 million US records have been exposed due to breaches since 2005. The document discusses the costs of breaches to companies and common causes, such as lost or stolen devices. It argues that while some states have breach notification laws, federal legislation is needed to standardize security practices and privacy protections across industries. The paper aims to examine if legislation is needed to reduce breaches, when people should be notified of breaches, and if compensation should be required.
Christine Madsen is a librarian and academic with extensive experience in digitization projects. She was the project manager for Harvard University Library's Open Collections Program from 2003 to 2008. In this role, she developed taxonomies and built digital collections on topics like working women from 1800 to 1930. This involved collaborating with scholars to determine collection scope and contracting services for digitization. Madsen successfully secured continued funding for the program from the Hewlett Foundation. Her work required diplomacy in negotiating with individual library collections to include their items in the digital collections.
The document discusses priorities for the next presidential administration regarding e-government and access to government information. The top priority should be re-establishing clear guidelines for when information can be withheld from the public, with a presumption of disclosure as the norm. The second priority is improving inter-agency communication and coordination. The third priority is ensuring security of government information systems while maintaining public access. Private sector involvement in disseminating government data should be temporary and aimed at reducing backlogs, not as a permanent replacement for public access.
The Semantic Web in Digital Libraries: A Literature Reviewsstose
The document discusses the potential for semantic web technologies to improve digital libraries by enabling machines to understand relationships between terms, not just keyword mappings. It reviews literature on using ontologies and RDF to integrate metadata from different libraries and allow queries about authorship, synonyms, and other relationships rather than just searching for keywords. Adapting existing library metadata standards like Dublin Core to semantic web frameworks could improve discovery, collaboration, and interoperability for digital collections. However, significant organizational changes may be required within libraries to fully realize this vision.
The Elements Of Rich Navigation by LuristicLuristic
Now that we have been exposed to many different devices with many different platforms, it is possible, if not necessary, to establish some best-practices regarding navigation, which is the single most important criteria for usability and Rich User Experience (RUE). The objective is to raise the bar from the low common denominator of a mundane to a rich navigation that offers engaging, immersive, interactive, collaborative, attractive, and even desirable experience that attracts intrigued visitors and convert them into excited users who become paying customers who finally morphed into loyal evangelists.
This document describes a prototype system that combines images located through textual metadata with a visual collaging technique to provide a leisurely browsing experience of a digital music collection. The system retrieves relevant images from the web based on metadata from MP3 files in the collection. These images are dynamically added and faded in a collage visualization. Users can click images to explore related web pages or play the associated songs. The system was implemented using the open source Greenstone digital library software.
NuSys is a proposed system to enhance how creative groups brainstorm and develop ideas using an electronic whiteboard. It would allow groups to easily share content from various sources onto the whiteboard workspace. NuSys would record discussions, annotations, and links between content to capture information networks. It would also support automatic generation of presentations from the whiteboard content, such as meeting summaries and slide shows. One use case described a study group using NuSys on a large display to organize and link course materials, images, and discussions to map relationships between concepts.
This document summarizes a paper about increasing data breaches and the need for legislation to address the problem. It notes that over 233 million US records have been exposed due to breaches since 2005. The document discusses the costs of breaches to companies and common causes, such as lost or stolen devices. It argues that while some states have breach notification laws, federal legislation is needed to standardize security practices and privacy protections across industries. The paper aims to examine if legislation is needed to reduce breaches, when people should be notified of breaches, and if compensation should be required.
Christine Madsen is a librarian and academic with extensive experience in digitization projects. She was the project manager for Harvard University Library's Open Collections Program from 2003 to 2008. In this role, she developed taxonomies and built digital collections on topics like working women from 1800 to 1930. This involved collaborating with scholars to determine collection scope and contracting services for digitization. Madsen successfully secured continued funding for the program from the Hewlett Foundation. Her work required diplomacy in negotiating with individual library collections to include their items in the digital collections.
The document discusses priorities for the next presidential administration regarding e-government and access to government information. The top priority should be re-establishing clear guidelines for when information can be withheld from the public, with a presumption of disclosure as the norm. The second priority is improving inter-agency communication and coordination. The third priority is ensuring security of government information systems while maintaining public access. Private sector involvement in disseminating government data should be temporary and aimed at reducing backlogs, not as a permanent replacement for public access.
The Semantic Web in Digital Libraries: A Literature Reviewsstose
The document discusses the potential for semantic web technologies to improve digital libraries by enabling machines to understand relationships between terms, not just keyword mappings. It reviews literature on using ontologies and RDF to integrate metadata from different libraries and allow queries about authorship, synonyms, and other relationships rather than just searching for keywords. Adapting existing library metadata standards like Dublin Core to semantic web frameworks could improve discovery, collaboration, and interoperability for digital collections. However, significant organizational changes may be required within libraries to fully realize this vision.
The document discusses the next generation of integrated library systems moving towards modularity and outward integration. Key points are:
1) Future integrated library systems will be more modular, allowing components to be combined more flexibly like Lego blocks. This will enable linking between different systems rather than building monolithic systems.
2) Integration should focus outwardly, making library collections visible on the open web where users search. This allows pulling users from search engines into library resources.
3) A longer term vision sees a more coherent global system for discovery and delivery of information across open, loosely connected systems. Libraries play a role alongside other providers and search engines.
Discovery systems aim to provide a more modern and user-friendly search experience compared to traditional ILS-based OPACs. They index content from a library's ILS as well as other sources to allow patrons to search across local and remote resources from a single interface. Early discovery systems depended on regular synchronization with the ILS, but the goal became developing web-scale discovery that could harvest and index content in real-time similarly to search engines like Google. Features such as faceted navigation, relevance ranking, and recommendations are now expected in discovery interfaces to meet user expectations.
The document discusses concepts and strategies for libraries to adopt a "Library 2.0" approach that is more participatory, user-centered, and technology-focused. It provides principles for engaging users, making collections more interactive and accessible online, embracing new technologies, and positioning librarians as guides who utilize tools preferred by users. The document also offers recommendations for libraries to build an innovative culture through staff development, communication, and supporting experimentation with new technologies.
Intranet 2.0 School: Building the essential staff intranet for your libraryChris Evjy
This document discusses building an effective staff intranet for a library. It begins by noting common problems with traditional intranets, such as being difficult to use and lacking collaboration. The presentation then explores how Web 2.0 tools can help address these issues by making platforms simpler and more open. The rest of the document outlines various steps and considerations for developing an intranet, including gathering user input, choosing a platform and software, migrating content, training staff, and assessing the new intranet. Examples from projects at Boulder Public Library and Auraria Library are provided.
This document discusses elements of page layout such as visual hierarchy, flow, and dynamic displays. It provides guidance on using techniques like visual hierarchy, density, position, and rhythm to draw attention to important content. Frameworks like center stage, grids of equals, and titled sections are also covered to organize content. Dynamic elements like tabs, accordions, and movable panels can be used to filter or rearrange content.
The modern library web environment consists of multiple content sources and applications that perform essential functions that often overlap and could potentially create a fractured user experience. For example, content in a library’s Drupal website may be replicated in LibGuides or WordPress blogs. Search functionality in a discovery platform may be replicated in a federated search tool or the ILS OPAC. This presentation provides tips, tackles technical and political challenges to building a single web experience for users, discusses solutions and use of APIs (application programming interfaces), provides concrete examples, and more.
The document discusses challenges in creating a seamless user experience across multiple library applications and websites. It describes how libraries often use different tools that create "silos" of content and functions. The goal is to build a single user experience, like Frankenstein's monster, by combining various parts. It provides tips on how to do this through application programming interfaces, data structures, content management systems, and prioritizing high impact projects with low effort.
The document provides an overview of Valerie Forrestal's presentation for a web services librarian position. It discusses designing an intuitive library website with clear navigation, simple design, and engaging content. It emphasizes user testing during the design process and defining user groups to meet their needs. The presentation also covers migrating content to a new content management system and training staff on maintenance responsibilities.
User interface of digital library softwareOmprakashlis
This document discusses the user interface of digital library software. It defines what a user interface is and explains that it is important for digital libraries to have an effective user interface since users can be from varied backgrounds. It describes principles for designing a good user interface, such as making it simple and familiar. It also discusses how to evaluate user interfaces, including criteria like ease of use and user satisfaction. Finally, it provides examples of the user interfaces of specific digital library software like DSpace, Greenstone, and EPrints.
See the WEBCAST as well!! mms://wmedia.it.su.se/SUB/NordLib/3.wmv
Presentation at Nordlib 2.0 in Stockholm, November 21th 2008
http://www.nordlib20.org/programme/
Content Management & Page Structure - Best Practices for Structuring Content ...D'arce Hess
Presented at SPTechCon Boston 2016. This presentation is a base line for end-users and business users to be able to structure content in SharePoint and O365 without needing to be a developer or designer.
Intermediation In The New User Environmentguest70b390
The document discusses how users are bypassing traditional library and publisher interfaces and intermediaries by using search engines, RSS feeds, blogs, and other tools. It argues that libraries and publishers need to develop more user-friendly and useful services that meet users where they are, rather than expecting users to come to the libraries and publishers. The rise of social software, mashups, and users tagging and sharing information also allows users to become their own intermediaries and bypass traditional intermediaries.
This is a presentation I gave at our Provincial Library. They are thinking about acquiring and implementing a social catalogue and invited libraries and vendors to attend a one day session and speak on their various social discovery tools.
Designing great dashboards: a slidedeck for dashboard developersMichele Pasin
After reading many useful papers and online resources on the topic of dashboards design, I realised I didn’t have a single document collecting and organising all of the useful ideas I encountered. So the purpose of this slidedeck is to serve as a (work-in-progress) handbook a dashboards developer can get back to, in order to find inspiration, advice, and maybe, even endorsement. Use at your own risk!
The document discusses how various Web 2.0 tools can be useful for research purposes. It describes bookmark sharing sites, photo sharing, blogs, wikis, microblogging via Twitter, virtual worlds like Second Life, and concludes by noting the importance of training and privacy considerations for using these tools.
It Takes A Village: Building UX Capacity in Librariescraigmmacdonald
With growing interest in applying user experience (UX) methods to improve library interfaces, spaces, and services, it is critical to gain a deeper understanding of the organizational factors influencing libraries' adoption and incorporation of UX expertise. This article reports the results of semi-structured interviews with 16 UX librarians and focuses on how the positions were created, the benefits they have brought to their library, their biggest challenges, and the extent that their work is understood throughout the library. The article concludes with a preliminary model of library UX maturity and six critical directions for the future of UX librarianship.
More Related Content
Similar to A comparison of two digital libraries based on pre-established criteria
The document discusses the next generation of integrated library systems moving towards modularity and outward integration. Key points are:
1) Future integrated library systems will be more modular, allowing components to be combined more flexibly like Lego blocks. This will enable linking between different systems rather than building monolithic systems.
2) Integration should focus outwardly, making library collections visible on the open web where users search. This allows pulling users from search engines into library resources.
3) A longer term vision sees a more coherent global system for discovery and delivery of information across open, loosely connected systems. Libraries play a role alongside other providers and search engines.
Discovery systems aim to provide a more modern and user-friendly search experience compared to traditional ILS-based OPACs. They index content from a library's ILS as well as other sources to allow patrons to search across local and remote resources from a single interface. Early discovery systems depended on regular synchronization with the ILS, but the goal became developing web-scale discovery that could harvest and index content in real-time similarly to search engines like Google. Features such as faceted navigation, relevance ranking, and recommendations are now expected in discovery interfaces to meet user expectations.
The document discusses concepts and strategies for libraries to adopt a "Library 2.0" approach that is more participatory, user-centered, and technology-focused. It provides principles for engaging users, making collections more interactive and accessible online, embracing new technologies, and positioning librarians as guides who utilize tools preferred by users. The document also offers recommendations for libraries to build an innovative culture through staff development, communication, and supporting experimentation with new technologies.
Intranet 2.0 School: Building the essential staff intranet for your libraryChris Evjy
This document discusses building an effective staff intranet for a library. It begins by noting common problems with traditional intranets, such as being difficult to use and lacking collaboration. The presentation then explores how Web 2.0 tools can help address these issues by making platforms simpler and more open. The rest of the document outlines various steps and considerations for developing an intranet, including gathering user input, choosing a platform and software, migrating content, training staff, and assessing the new intranet. Examples from projects at Boulder Public Library and Auraria Library are provided.
This document discusses elements of page layout such as visual hierarchy, flow, and dynamic displays. It provides guidance on using techniques like visual hierarchy, density, position, and rhythm to draw attention to important content. Frameworks like center stage, grids of equals, and titled sections are also covered to organize content. Dynamic elements like tabs, accordions, and movable panels can be used to filter or rearrange content.
The modern library web environment consists of multiple content sources and applications that perform essential functions that often overlap and could potentially create a fractured user experience. For example, content in a library’s Drupal website may be replicated in LibGuides or WordPress blogs. Search functionality in a discovery platform may be replicated in a federated search tool or the ILS OPAC. This presentation provides tips, tackles technical and political challenges to building a single web experience for users, discusses solutions and use of APIs (application programming interfaces), provides concrete examples, and more.
The document discusses challenges in creating a seamless user experience across multiple library applications and websites. It describes how libraries often use different tools that create "silos" of content and functions. The goal is to build a single user experience, like Frankenstein's monster, by combining various parts. It provides tips on how to do this through application programming interfaces, data structures, content management systems, and prioritizing high impact projects with low effort.
The document provides an overview of Valerie Forrestal's presentation for a web services librarian position. It discusses designing an intuitive library website with clear navigation, simple design, and engaging content. It emphasizes user testing during the design process and defining user groups to meet their needs. The presentation also covers migrating content to a new content management system and training staff on maintenance responsibilities.
User interface of digital library softwareOmprakashlis
This document discusses the user interface of digital library software. It defines what a user interface is and explains that it is important for digital libraries to have an effective user interface since users can be from varied backgrounds. It describes principles for designing a good user interface, such as making it simple and familiar. It also discusses how to evaluate user interfaces, including criteria like ease of use and user satisfaction. Finally, it provides examples of the user interfaces of specific digital library software like DSpace, Greenstone, and EPrints.
See the WEBCAST as well!! mms://wmedia.it.su.se/SUB/NordLib/3.wmv
Presentation at Nordlib 2.0 in Stockholm, November 21th 2008
http://www.nordlib20.org/programme/
Content Management & Page Structure - Best Practices for Structuring Content ...D'arce Hess
Presented at SPTechCon Boston 2016. This presentation is a base line for end-users and business users to be able to structure content in SharePoint and O365 without needing to be a developer or designer.
Intermediation In The New User Environmentguest70b390
The document discusses how users are bypassing traditional library and publisher interfaces and intermediaries by using search engines, RSS feeds, blogs, and other tools. It argues that libraries and publishers need to develop more user-friendly and useful services that meet users where they are, rather than expecting users to come to the libraries and publishers. The rise of social software, mashups, and users tagging and sharing information also allows users to become their own intermediaries and bypass traditional intermediaries.
This is a presentation I gave at our Provincial Library. They are thinking about acquiring and implementing a social catalogue and invited libraries and vendors to attend a one day session and speak on their various social discovery tools.
Designing great dashboards: a slidedeck for dashboard developersMichele Pasin
After reading many useful papers and online resources on the topic of dashboards design, I realised I didn’t have a single document collecting and organising all of the useful ideas I encountered. So the purpose of this slidedeck is to serve as a (work-in-progress) handbook a dashboards developer can get back to, in order to find inspiration, advice, and maybe, even endorsement. Use at your own risk!
The document discusses how various Web 2.0 tools can be useful for research purposes. It describes bookmark sharing sites, photo sharing, blogs, wikis, microblogging via Twitter, virtual worlds like Second Life, and concludes by noting the importance of training and privacy considerations for using these tools.
It Takes A Village: Building UX Capacity in Librariescraigmmacdonald
With growing interest in applying user experience (UX) methods to improve library interfaces, spaces, and services, it is critical to gain a deeper understanding of the organizational factors influencing libraries' adoption and incorporation of UX expertise. This article reports the results of semi-structured interviews with 16 UX librarians and focuses on how the positions were created, the benefits they have brought to their library, their biggest challenges, and the extent that their work is understood throughout the library. The article concludes with a preliminary model of library UX maturity and six critical directions for the future of UX librarianship.
Similar to A comparison of two digital libraries based on pre-established criteria (20)
It Takes A Village: Building UX Capacity in Libraries
A comparison of two digital libraries based on pre-established criteria
1. Stephen J. Stose June 19, 2010 1
IST 676: Assignment 2
In what follows is a general outline for a method of evaluating digital libraries. This paper has
two goals: 1) to refine and continue to develop effective criteria for the evaluation of digital
libraries, and 2) the use of these criteria in the practice of evaluating two specific digital libraries.
Two federated digital libraries are evaluated across five criteria of evaluation. The criteria were
adapted from multiple sources, most principally from that of Saracevic (2005) and Choudhury
(2002). While the criteria presented here do not necessarily follow the structure of these previous
authors, they do attempt to incorporate and re-organize the same multiple dimensions generally
accepted as essential. These dimensions are listed in bold, each followed by a series of questions
that attempt to manifest each concept. They do not constitute orthogonal dimensions. Yet they do
seek to represent psychologically distinct experiences of a typical user’s episode with the digital
library resource. For this reason the criteria attempts to model this user flow. That is to say that
upon entry, the user has 1) a first impression, followed by 2) a judgment of its aesthetics and
overall design, which incorporates signposts (links etc) that allow/disallow its 3) usability; entry
to the digital objects themselves is facilitated or constrained by the exposure and effectiveness of
the sites 4) taxonomic system, which lead to the 5) digital content itself a user hopefully can
contextualize and learn from. Such a description of an episode is of course a user-centric ideal,
and exposes the author’s own preferences towards good digital library design (i.e., how he
believes a site should foster navigation and resource discovery). However, it also serves as a
model for further research, given that these propositions regarding user-centric episodes and the
criteria by which they should be judged are themselves testable and hence falsifiable.
University of Wyoming Digital Initiative The Arizona Memory Project
http://digital.uwyo.edu/ http://azmemory.lib.az.us/
The overall quality The front page immediately invites you A very brief time here assures you that
of organization: Is into its various “recently digitized” one interface is the rule. The front page
the content collections. Navigating from the main quickly divulges a lot, in a friendly
immediately interface into separate collection manner. It has teasers of some of its
accessible and interfaces is realistic, but there is seldom a content (usually collections
inviting with clarity clear way back to the collection options. highlighted), to attract the user inside. It
in its presentation? Many collections are federated within one boasts of teacher resources that, within
Does its overall space (LUNA), which provides coherency seconds, show you the availability of
structure serve its if the user is lucky to land there. Others lesson plans for teachers. You see
stated goals? What lead one quite astray into university quickly that this is some kind of
impression does the programs with uncertain connection to federated system with many institutions,
first 15 seconds of this digital initiative. This fragmentation and a quick click on ‘browse’ or
entry leave? is disorienting, a fact the ‘about’ section ‘search’ reveals much of the metadata at
failed to allay. The search feature on the one’s fingertips. An extremely attractive
front page was both ineffective and start.
misleading. The portal’s overall quality is
therefore very low.
Design: Is the site The main page attractively The design is simple, yet effective.
attractive and presented/exposed the various collections There are few items in the menu, and
simple to visually available up front. If lucky, most these are repeated with short
navigate? Does the collections lead to a separate LUNA explanations within the main content.
design assist the workspace (a DAM), which is very More specialized features (‘help’, ‘my
2. Stephen J. Stose June 19, 2010 2
IST 676: Assignment 2
user in orienting its attractive, simple and customizable, and favorites’, and ‘my preferences’) are
contents? Is the federates all searching for collections less conspicuous, but available
design stable and within its domain. If unlucky, other immediately. The site uses only one
psychologically collections lead to very distinct spaces interface throughout, and a fluid width
coherent and this can be very disorienting and allows use of your entire screen. The
throughout, or does organizationally distinct. The front page is site is attractive to navigate, mostly
it require continual simple and visually attractive, but the because it is simple with links that
visual and menu options usually just offer a series of resolve with the information they boast.
conceptual re- links that lead users into a separate web The ‘help’ and ‘about’ are long html
orientation as one interface, thereby visually and documents, many times unadvised in
navigates? psychologically placing them again in a information architecture, but a quick
new space. Thus, the design lacks an menu upfront immediately breaks up
umbrella space and visual guideposts that this content by scrolling you to each
organize collection subspaces and ensure question listed in its menu. Very
navigational cohesion. effective, even if a trifle bland.
Usability: Is the If lucky to land inside LUNA, where This is an incredibly simple and
resource easy to many of the collections reside, the users effective digital library, which speaks
use and effortless to must learn one mere interface in order to well of OCLC’s CONTENTdm, its
navigate? Do the navigate across its collections. Links underlying architecture. This is a
links resolve in resolve very quickly and the navigational federated digital library, and the links
expected places, menu is stable, but a user does need to illustrate this effectively. Within one
and is the user experiment a while to learn how they click of the front page you can read
correctly oriented function. It is not immediately clear when about the contributing institutions, and
to retrace this navigation is within or between within two clicks (‘browse>’select a
space? Are collections, but this price of federated collection from the list’) you can view
navigational cohesion is resolved soon enough. There the items just from that institution’s
signposts stable is very effective user support, but using collection. One click on ‘favorites’ or
and informative? Is this resource effectively is not effortless, ‘my preferences’ shows the user how
the user aware of given its power to afford users many the interface can be changed to
the various features organization powers: media groups, accommodate personalization for
available with presentations, API embedding, and other improved usage. The help section is
sufficient guidance options given registration. The site may available, but given the ease of this
in their operation? be too powerful at the cost of ordinary interface, almost superfluous, I dare
and quick presentational capacity for say. A user has no issue at all finding
more ordinary user groups. what s/he needs, or just browsing.
System and The main taxonomy is the collection-level A taxonomy of categories is
metadata: Does a categorization. The “Search” feature on immediately available by clicking on
taxonomy of the main page is useless. If within LUNA, ‘browse’. While this list is quite sparse
categories enable the advanced search has excellent (broken into ‘collections’, ‘topics’,
effective resource dropdown fields with extensive metadata ‘formats, and ‘time periods’ only), it
discovery? Is the and Boolian options, and allows federated broadness is indicative of the
metadata exposed searching within or amongst all abstraction needed to properly federate
to users to enable collections. Simple searching reveals the collections of over 90 institutions.
effective search? faceted options in a sidebar, expanding or This is a wonderful way to get users
Do queries return refining the results. It is difficult to find into the content immediately, and listed
presentable results the “browse by category” section in order beside each thumbnail is basic ‘subject’
digestible to human to immediately learn about the items and ‘description’ metadata, which
users? Are queries available, but when found the “what”, allows for quick digestion of its
3. Stephen J. Stose June 19, 2010 3
IST 676: Assignment 2
handled efficiently? “who”, and “when” categories do provide relevancy before going further. Facets
Are there faceted a needed conceptual framework for the in the sidebar allow narrowing the
options for collection’s holdings that might serve the fields. When choosing an image, much
continued user better if constantly available in a more metadata unfolds beneath the
refinement? sidebar. Queries provide results with image itself, or when doing an advance
various grid and object resize options, search. Queries are handled
with item-level summaries available immediately, such that you forget you
below or upon hovering over each item. are amongst 67,000 digital objects.
Digital content: This single-interface federation (in The links ‘my preferences’ or ‘my
Does informative LUNA) is excellent for combining high- favorites’ allows you to change the
descriptive (e.g., quality items across/within the collection, screen defaults (sort order, background
historical) material but contains little collection-level color, grid/list options), such that the
contextualize the information, leaving little to learn about content itself appears according to each
digital objects? Are the history and context of each collection. user’s desire. You learn a lot very
the objects Attempts to return to the main portal for quickly regardless of the format, as
informatively collection-level guidance are difficult and beneath each thumbnail are effective
labeled at the item- otherwise unhelpful, as “about” section descriptors, and beneath each image
and collection- discusses issues more relevant to itself the metadata is co-referenced with
level, to make it university members, and the “exhibits” links to that reveal all the objects within
easy to learn? Is and other menu items show links that lead that ‘category’. Browsing is fun, which
the content a high to unfamiliar space. Individual items are implies you are learning and engaged in
digital quality, and well documented in the left sidebar with a the content. Checkboxes beside each
can users complete listing of technical, descriptive, object allows you to collect content
manipulate (e.g., and administrative metadata. Users can (‘my favorites’). Image size is limited,
collate, zoom, print, add/collate items to a workspace or but you can request larger sizes. The
itemize) the presentation space, zoom and compare, if best feature is the item-level to
objects? they care to learn these features (and collection-level coherency. Regardless
register). This plethora of multimedia of how you came upon an item, it is co-
features overshadows the storytelling and referenced to information regarding its
contextualized nature a digital library also collection. Thus, one learns about the
needs to represent. item and its context easily and
effectively.
Is the digital The site has potential, once loose ends are This digital library is fantastic, one of
library mission collected. The site fails to serve as an the best federated sources I have used,
supported? umbrella portal except that the first page and very worthy of emulation. It
allows users to enter specific collections informs on the item- and collection-
(with little way back, however). The level, integrates these seamlessly within
LUNA federated interface is an excellent one interface, while still recognizing the
multimedia tool that exhibits great control collection has a separate institutional
over item-level metadata, but it fails to provenance. The mission is completely
incorporate collection-level information, supported. Besides a few design issues
and probably sacrifices historical regarding attractiveness (menu fonts)
storytelling of the items within each and fuzzy header images, it is top-class
collection for multimedia options ordinary in terms of usability.
users may find difficult.
4. Stephen J. Stose June 19, 2010 4
IST 676: Assignment 2
A brief conclusion is warranted. Obviously the Wyoming Digital Initiative is under construction.
This I know, as I know one of the directors (iSchool Graduate Ben Goldman). For this reason,
the analysis may not be completely fair. However, given that I mostly concentrated on the
federated LUNA system, some words of direct comparison may be granted. While the power and
complexity of the LUNA system is quickly apparent, these benefits have as costs the joy of
browsing I experienced within the Arizona Memory Project. Too much complexity may instill
only confusion, and given that most visitors just wish to browse and perhaps do basic educational
research, the power afforded within the LUNA system is perhaps a trifle unnecessary, if not at
odds with its educational purpose. In my opinion, if and when a user requires high-level
multimedia capabilities, these should be secondary to a digital library’s public and educational
(i.e., information quality should be first). The LUNA system does raise the bar for digital library
architecture. This power, however, should be secondary to a good experience.
Saracevic, Tefko (2005). How were digital libraries evaluated? Presented at Libraries in the Digital Age
(LIDA), Dubrovnik and Mljet, Crotia, May 30-June.
Choudhury, G.S.; Hobbs, B.; M Lorie, Flores, N.E. (2002). A Framework for Evaluating Digital Library
Service. D-Lib Magazine July/August 2002. Volume 8 Number 7/8